By Subhash K. Jha, IANS, [RxPG] Mumbai, May 6 - It looks like literature and cinema have become best friends. While shooting for his Hindi film 'Yatra', Bengali filmmaker Gautam Ghose has quietly shot a film based on the work of Bengali litterateur Samaresh Majumdar.

Says Ghose: 'How did you know? I've been so tied up with the release of 'Yatra' that I've barely had time to shoot and complete my other films. I've lately been busy with a 10-part series of short stories for Doordarshan.'

'I've rendered a Sahitya Akademi-winning novel 'Kalbela' by Samaresh Majumdar. I was very excited by this novel because it is a love story set in the troubled Kolkata of the 1960s and 70s. That's when I was a student in the city. So 'Kalbela' gives me a chance to go back to my youth,' adds the filmmaker.

'A lot of my colleagues including Mrinal Sen suggested a big-screen version for the theatres. So the film will be released in theatres May 27,' he says.

With his Hindi and Bengali films released neck and neck, the acclaimed filmmaker says he feels 'disoriented' running from one place to another.

'Just imagine! My Hindi film and my Bengali film are being released neck and neck. I feel completely disoriented running from Kolkata to Delhi to Hyderabad and back to Kolkata.'

'I stay in Kolkata. So I can never be your Bollywood-wallah. To make matters even more complicated for 'Yatra', 'Kalbela' too needed my urgent attention.'